In April 2017, Wichita State University’s (WSU) National Institute for of Aviation Research (NIAR) and Dassault Systèmes’ opened the 3DEXPERIENCE Center on the university’s new Innovation Campus. Now, students are businesses alike are using virtual reality and new manufacturing Technology to reduce the cost and barriers to entry for new aerospace engineering projects.

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As WSU President John Bardo described to Engineering.com, “This is the beginning of a new era at Wichita State University—an opportunity for students to work alongside experienced professionals, gaining knowledge about the tools and processes used by industry. We see these partnerships as a model for future partnerships in areas such as business, education, health professions, arts and sciences.”

At the 3DEXPERIENCE FORUM in October, we were joined onstage by John Tomblin, Ph.D., Executive Director of NIAR, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer at WSU. Mr. Tomblin had joined us a similar event three years prior to outline the vision of WSU’s Innovation Campus, and he was eager to discuss how that vision had become a reality.

Mr. Tomblin went on to explain how the 3DEXPERIENCE Center at WSU provides a unique training ground for the workforce of the future. A common lament across many highly-technical industries is the ramp-up time for new employees. By training WSU students on the latest technology and manufacturing platforms while they’re still in school, that new-hire ramp-up window is drastically reduced.

Moreover, the 3DEXPERIENCE Center at WSU is built to be used by businesses, giving them short-and-medium-term access to the latest technologies without requiring them to invest in their purchase and installation. This is ideal for working groups within large businesses that want a specific tool-set for a project. The Center also makes this cutting-edge technology available to startups and small businesses, drastically lowering the barrier to entry in a highly complex (and expensive) industry.

To learn more about how the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform is powering the future of aviation at WSU, here’s the full presentation: